Orbán’s Accusations Against the EU
In a provocative speech delivered on Wednesday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán asserted that the European Union (EU) is intent on dismantling his government and replacing it with a puppet regime in Hungary. This statement marks a significant escalation in his openly hostile rhetoric toward the EU, which is increasingly viewed as the closest ally of Russia in the region.
Orbán’s inflammatory remarks were made during a key address at an event honoring the 1956 armed uprising against Soviet oppression. This revolt, which began in Budapest and spread across the nation, was ultimately quelled by the Red Army. After paying homage to the “heroes” of the 1956 revolution and drawing parallels to the recent battles against the Danube floods affecting Hungary, the Prime Minister shifted his focus to the EU and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“That is why they announced in Brussels that they will get rid of Hungary’s national government,” Orbán declared to the gathered crowd in Budapest. “They also announced that they wanted to hang a Brussels puppet government around the country’s neck.” As of now, EU officials have yet to publicly respond to these allegations.
The relationship between Hungary and the EU has been fraught with tension, particularly regarding Hungary’s approach to the war in Ukraine, which has now persisted for over two and a half years. Hungary has consistently obstructed EU initiatives aimed at providing support to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia, while simultaneously fostering closer ties with Moscow.
In a similarly unfounded assertion, Orbán claimed that the EU intends to allow Ukrainian soldiers to be stationed in Hungary following a hypothetical victory in the war. “We Hungarians would wake up one morning to find that Slavic soldiers from the east were again stationed on the territory of Hungary,” he warned.
Trouble with Brussels Persists
Recently, the Hungarian government has stirred controversy among EU officials by threatening to transport hundreds of migrants from its borders to Brussels in protest against the EU’s migration policies. This follows a significant ruling in which the European Court of Justice fined Orbán’s government €200 million for an “unprecedented and exceptionally serious breach of EU law,” primarily due to the country’s stringent restrictions on asylum rights.
Orbán’s remarks coincide with a gathering of global leaders in Moscow for the BRICS conference, an event that the Kremlin aims to leverage to enhance its trade relationships and bolster its international standing.
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This is not the first occasion on which Orbán has utilized this commemorative event to draw parallels between historical occupying forces, such as the Soviet Union and the Ottoman Empire, and the EU in contemporary times. However, this marks a notable return to Budapest for the commemoration, a departure from his usual preference for locations in the countryside, which are traditionally seen as the strongholds of his Fidesz party.
